Places I Remember
by Ivette Boveda
Summary: Alan's sins come back to haunt him. Will the relationship between the Eppes men ever be the same again, as they all deal with the consequences? Last Chapter Posted.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's note: This chapter was written before the season 4 premiere of Numb3rs. (I write this for those of you who read this after seeing that episode._

"We gotta talk!" Stan's voice had an underlying urgency, even with the weak cell phone signal.

"What's going on?" Alan asked, munching on a sandwich. He and Don ate together in an empty conference room near the latter's desk.

"I need to meet with you! Some things can't be told over the phone!"

"Are we getting sued again???" Alan groaned and became worried. The agent stopped eating and looked at his father.

"No...It's beyond that ...trust me! Meet me at..."

"I'm eating with Donnie..." Alan didn't want to squander the rare opportunity to have lunch with his older son.

"Alan, please...what I need to tell you is very impo..." the line got cut off. With sigh, Alan closed and put away his cell phone.

"What's wrong?"

"I dunno..."Alan shrugged and bit into his sandwich."He refused to tell me over the phone, but Stan's a bit of a drama queen"

"so you don't think it's anything serious?"

"nah..."

Meanwhile, Stan frantically and with curses, looked for the special cell phone charger that could be used in a car.

he muttered after a few minutes. "Screw this! I'm calling him on a public phone"

---------------------------------------------

Before Alan could eat much more of his sandwich, his cell phone rang again. If Stan hadn't been such a good friend, Alan would have ignored the call.

"hello?" Alan rolled his eyes.

"Alan...please... let me talk...I'm not being a drama queen, okay? I really do have something very important to tell you! I swear it on my children! Let's meet at McGillicuddy's !"

Alan's gut told him that Stan did have something very important to say, but not urgent enough to skip out on Don. "I'll meet you in ninety minutes?"

"Make it an hour" Stan insisted.

"Eighty minutes" Alan countered firmly. His sons always came first.

"Fine..."

"Got any idea why Stan's gotta talk to ya?" Don asked when Alan closed his cell phone.

"Not a clue" Alan replied, "but I'll find out soon enough."

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McGillicuddy's, a small bar in old town Pasadena, stood on a corner, empty but for a couple of servers, and Stan, at a booth anxiously waiting for Alan, while drinking Dos XX, a Mexican beer. Again, he looked at _the picture._ The one he had taken a few hours back. ; The one that would force his best friend to relive mistakes of the past, and change several lives.

"Now I know what Don goes through..." Stan thought.

Finally, to his relief, Alan arrived. Upon joining his friend, Alan asked, "What's so important that you wanted me to leave Donnie in the middle of lunch?"

"Let me start at the beginning" Stan took a deep breath. "Today, I went with my new digital camera to take some 'after' photos of that hotel reconstruction for the portfolio, but something came up and I took a photo of another kind."

"What? Did you photograph a crime?" Alan guessed. "Involving someone you know?"

"No...Let me finish..." Stan interrupted. "I saw something shocking, but not in the way you think..."

"Just show me the damn photo!" Alan grew impatient with Stan's fumbling, thinking that his friend was over dramatizing something minor. "Or I will leave!!"

"Alan, this photo is a Pandora's box! As your friend I need to warn you."

"This isn't one of your Photoshop deals is it?" Alan became more aggravated. Stan always had loved computers, and lately, had gotten into doing photoshopping.

"I wouldn't ever think to Photoshop something like this for a friend!!!!"

"Stan, show me the damned picture!!" Alan demanded, "Or I will leave!!"

Reluctantly, Stan took out his digital camera, which he had put away temporarily before Alan came. Stan made sure that it was on the preview screen and somberly gave it to his friend.

Alan got the camera from him. At first he just saw_ her, that woman._ He was about to yell at Stan, but then saw something else. Next to her stood a young man, much younger than Charlie, but who looked exactly like Alan's father.

With that, the memories came flooding back. During Charlie's sophomore year at Princeton, Alan ran into an old girlfriend from his college days. She had made him feel young, and reminded him of the hardcore, fighting idealist he used to be. The one who died the day Margaret told him she was pregnant with Don. Lunches turned to dinners, which in turn became weekend trips, and overnight stays at a small apartment in West Hollywood.

Alan, not wanting to delve into his emotions, and needing to get to the bottom of things, told his friend, "Call your brother, and ask him for the number of a good PI" Stan's older brother worked in insurance. "But don't say it's for me!"

"I'm on it" Stan opened his cell phone.

Alan needed someone with investigative experience; since asking Don couldn't even be considered, a PI would have to do.

-----------------------------------

At dinner that night, the boys noticed how quiet Alan seemed. He made a comment or two, but to Don, something didn't seem right.

Alan's mind wasn't on the meal of steak and mashed potatoes, but how he should, if ever approach this mystery son. The older man felt that one couldn't just go up to someone and say 'hi. I think I am your biological father. Would you be willing to do a DNA test?

"You okay Dad?" Don asked.

"I'm ...thinking about a project" Alan lied reluctantly. He already told them that Stan's insistent summons resulted from a bad EBAY purchase. Don began to think that maybe there was something more to that call from Stan.

"Is it giving you trouble?" Don continued his questions.

"If it's math related, I can help" Charlie piped up.

"its client related" Alan lied again.

"Anything I can do?" Don persisted with concern. He knew his father too well.

"I'm fine!" Alan got up to put his plate away.

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A few days later, Alan found himself at the office of Henry Gonzalez, a former detective of the San Francisco Police department, talking about the situation with reluctance. THe retiree gave Gonzalez, Stan's picture, and phone number. The PI asked about the girlfriend, and to Alan's discomfort, the affair.

He asked for a partial advance, which Alan gave him in cash, and they arranged to meet in two weeks.

"I'll expect you to call between now and our next meeting" Alan warned. They said their goodbyes and he departed.

Alan, in his car, did some thinking. What would he do, if there were enough clues to suggest that the young man could be his son? How could he make up for not being there? Sure it was _her_ fault that Alan missed out on the kid's childhood, but none the less, the retiree had not been there during those early years: the night feedings, illnesses, back to school nights, homework help, and the other little things that made up parenthood. What's more, what would he tell the boys? He knew they'd be angry and hurt, that their mother had been cheated on. Would they resent the new little brother, for being the living incarnation of their father's betrayal? And what of the young man? would he feel left out?

"At least he had a sister..." Alan mused, remembering that _she_ had mentioned having a ten year old, during that first fateful lunch

What about Millie? Would she stop trusting Alan upon finding out that he cheated on Margaret? He could hear her, in his mind, ask sharply _"How can I trust someone who cheated the moment his wife went across the country?"_

Sighing, Alan knew that all he could do for now, was wait

_TBC_


	2. Chapter 2

_note: this chapter was also written before the season 4 premiere of Numbers_

Hannah ate wtih her seventeen year old son, Aakash, at an organic restaurant in silence. She hadn't wanted to come to Los Angeles, but her son was looking at colleges in and around the area such as USC, UCLA, Cal Sci Occidental, Claremont McKenna, among others.

"How did you like USC?" she asked. They spent some time on campus, and he went on a tour. Hannah didn't really like the school, hanging on to the idea that it was a college for spoiled rich kids.

"My tour guide was high" he sighed. "But it was a fun tour, and I can see myself maybe coming here," Aakash replied. His grandfather, was going to pay for his education just as he did with Karma, Aakash's sister.

"Tomorrow we head to Westwood and UCLA!" she gave false cheeriness to her words. While she realized the odds of running into Alan were low, Hannah still worried.

"You don't seem happy about being here." Aakash observed. He had bushy, curly hair, a largish nose, and reminded Hannah of Alan's crotchety father, who she meet a few times.

"Can I help it if I want you to go to UCSF? It is my Alma Mater" she teased, and put her red and white hair behind her ear. She continued, tongue in cheek"And who is going to be rude to my customers while your gone?" Hannah owned a small bookstore that had both new and used books.

"I always end up with the dumb tourists ,who expect to see group orgies" he shrugged.

"You need to learn people skills if you wanna became a doctor" she warned him.

"No I don't." he scoffed. "Think about it...if I or Karma were sick, who would you prefer, the nice, idiot doctor, or the nasty one who knows how to cure?"

"Couldn't I have both?"

Aakash rolled his eyes, and went back to his menu.

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He enjoyed himself at UCLA the following day, while Hannah spent several hours at Santa Monica. She knew when to give him space.

"You've got a tour at Cal Sci tomorrow" she reminded him that night.

"I don't wanna go to school with a bunch of overfocused nerds! I wouoldn't go there if that was the only school gramps would pay for!"

"We did promise your great uncle Bob, and you need to explore your options. Getting into med school isn't going to be easy and Great Uncle Bob did make arrangements on your behalf

"Fine"

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Great Uncle Bob, a rich alumnus who often contributed a lot of money to the school, asked Millie, an acquaintance from fundraising events, to prepare a whole day for the prospie, allowing him to audit a few classes.

That morning, Brian, Millie's favorite tour guide, showed up to Aakash around campus, and then took him to audit Charlie's early morning class. Millie, a realist knew the importance of keeping high end donors happy. If that meant giving a prospie a little more attention, so be it.

"Professor Eppes is one of Cal Sci's best profs!" Brian explained as they made their way to the Math building. "And very cool! He consults for the FBI."

"Couldn't I audit another class?" Aakash. asked. He saw math as means to an end: to fulfill requirements, and function in advanced science courses.

"You will." Brian promised. "Later, you're also gonna audit a biology class, a neuroscience lecture, a brit lit seminar, and a Latin American history course.

"Great."

"so uh...how's your math?"

"I got a four on the AP calculus exam..."

"Ah...well...right now, Eppes has his pre cal course. Guess Finch didn't wanna scare you" Brian laughed lamely.

--------------------------------------------

Soon, they arrived in Charlie's class.

"I thought full profs did all the teaching" Aakach grumbled to Brian, when he saw a man, which dark, curly hair, wearing casual clothes, and looking like he was under thirty.

"He's not a TA" Brian explained. He often had to clarify this to prospective students."Professor Eppes was, is a math prodigy, graduating from High School at the age of thirteen"

"is that what the admissions office told you to say?" AAKash joked, and took a seat at the back.

"I'll pick you up later."

With annoyance, the young man watched as a few students, wanting extra credit and chosen by Charlie , solved equations on the board. Aakash assumed they were from the homework.

Eventually, everyone finished, and Charlie began to go over them. The second one he explained was done completely wrong.

"This problem..." Charlie began.

"Was done by someone who needs to go to remedial math" Aakash piped up

"We are all learning here," Charlie said firmly, and kindly returned to his explanation of what needed to be corrected. Aakash made snide comments for the rest of the problems.

"Are you even in our class???" an annoyed student yelled from the front.

"I'm a prospie"

"In my classroom, we respect and support each other in the learning process" Charlie scowled at the younger man, little knowing it was his brother.

"Spare me the feel good crap" Aakash retorted "Next thing you're gonna tell me is that you don't do grades!"

Just then, a strong arm grabbed him and said with a certain amount of menace, "Maybe you should let Professor Eppes teach his class,"

"Hey! leggo!" Startled, Aakash carefully turned around to see a man in a suit, giving him with a threatening glare, while letting go of his arm. "What are you his bodyguard?"

Don, instead of answering, told him "Just sit quietly."

"You sure look like one, with your convict haircut" Aakash thought. He wasn't scared, just wary or so he told himself.

Charlie gave Don a grateful look and continued his class. The agent, looked again at the young man, and found that the boy looked a lot like granpa Aaron, especially the old black and white pictures Alan had inherited. Don remembered him better than Charlie, who was only six when the old man died of a post stroke operation.

When class ended, Brian picked up Aakash, to introduce him to a Junior pre med student, while Don went to speak with Charlie about a new case he needed help with.

So ended the family reunion.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Alan half listened while Charlie talked about his day over dinner at the house. As far as the older man could tell, there was some prospective student, who disrupted Charlie's class, and Donnie came to the rescue.

"You should've seen that Jerk's face when Don told him to shut up!" Charlie smiled.

"That's Donnie for ya" Alan answered absently.

Charlie continued to talk about other things, and noticed how quiet his father was. So, using a trick he once saw Don use, Charlie asked, "So...how is Stanley dealing with his bad bargain?"

"As well as he can..." Alan said quickly. "We've been too busy to really talk about it"

"oh...Maybe he could resell it on EBAY" Charlie joked.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aakash reunited with his mother at a movie theater in Pasadena that played independent and foreign films. As they waited in line, he told her about his day.

"...so the first class they had me audit was precal..." he began with a groan.

"I sure you loved that..." Hannah remarked dryly.

"Anyway...I made some peanut gallery comments, harmless stuff ya know..."

"In other words, you poked fun at everyone?" she sighed. "Honestly, Aakash! I don't understand why you need to insult people for the hell of it! I used to disrupt classes in my day, but it was for a greater good. What else happened?"

" so I did a little jibe at the prof, when some jerk squeezes my arm. It hurt!"

Hannah looked for a bruise, but didn't see any.

-------------------------------------------------------

Charlie, of course, talked about Alan's recent behavior to Don, who decided to visit his father, who he hadn't seen in a couple of days.

"I'll find out what's up" the elder Eppes brother promised.

"Like last time? When he walked out on you?" Charlie remarked dubiously. They talked about their father at Don's desk.

Don came to the house, during an afternoon at the end of the week. Charlie told him that their father would be home.

"Hey Donnie!" Alan smiled upon seeing his eldest. "I've got leftovers if you want some"

"Sure"

They talked about sports for a while, when Don subtly changed the subject to his father's work.

"It's a brave thing you did, Dad...going into business for yourself..." Don sat back, sipping a coke. "Given the risks" The agent thought that maybe Alan was having financial problems in the business. This was his second theory, after that of his father having a secret health problems. He thought that Alan seemed to be in good health, but asked Charlie to keep an eye out.

"It wasn't really that risky. Charlie gave me a great price for the house, I live rent free, and stan's the best partner anyone could hope for." Alan knew that this was different than the true explanation he had given Charlie so long ago: life is full of risks. The older man did this to assure Don, and avoid the misunderstanding that something was wrong with the business.

Don murmured understanding, and then asked Alan about his current projects. Happily, the older man talked about them in great detail. The agent mostly paid attention to his father's tone, and body language, which showed genuine enthusiasm. However, there could be some underlying issue below the surface. Maybe a client wasn't paying, or there were business disagreements between Stan and Alan. There was also the health problem theory to pursue.

"Do you and Stan disagree about anything?"

"Of course, sometimes we'll have different approaches to things"

"oh yeah?"

"But we complement each other, and know how to compromise. Remember we worked together for years at the city planning office. It's not as if I just met him on some chatroom."

Don smiled "I guess so..."

-----------------------------------------

The following afternoon, when Don, thanks to prior arrangements, knew that Alan was having lunch with Charlie, he went to see Stan at the office the latter shared with Alan. It was small, and in an old building in Old town Pasadena.

"Hey Stan..." Don greeted the man. "How are ya?"

"Doing fine...thanks..." Stan smiled and returned the greeting with an inward sigh. He had a feeling that Don would pick up on Alan's troubled soul, and come to ask him a few questions. The man knew that Don, because of his line of work, would be jaded enough to suspect Stan of doing something iffy.

"I wanted to see my Dad...will he be back soon?"

"He went to have lunch with your brother"

"oh...right..." Don looked around. There were a couple of computers, stacks of blueprints, a coffee maker, a small refrigerator, and chairs for visitors. "you've guys have got quite a setup here..."

"thanks..."Stan added, "Would you like something?"

"No thanks, someone brought in lunch at the office" Don made himself comfortable on a visitor's chair. "How's John?" Don referred to Stan's son.

"He's been posted in Ireland" Stan replied proudly. His eldest worked for the Foreign Service.

"Tell him Don said hi"

"Sure thing..." Stan laughed. "It's seems like yesterday you two were fighting over toys"

"Time does fly..." Don agreed. Soon, he got to the point of his visit. "Have you noticed something different about my Dad?"

Stan thought for a second. Saying no would make him look like he was hiding something, but yes meant coming up with a lie that wouldn't have unintended consequences. So, he replied carefully "Different how?"

"He seems quiet, like somethin's bothering him."

Before Stan could panic, his cell phone rang. Turned out that a client had a question, which Stan answered, and expanded on.

Don also got a phone call, but it was from work,; he had to get back.

Stan saw him leave with relief, but knew that soon, Don would return, and demand a few answers. Answers, which Stan could not give.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

When Alan returned to the office, Stan remarked, tongue in cheek "Don came by to ask me about the millions I stole from you"

"Did he..." Alan sighed and worried about the questioning. Don could be hard sometimes when he got into interrogation mode. "I'm sorry about that...it's his work. It makes him world weary"

"no worries! I'd probably be the same way in his circumstances."

"I thought that getting the ebay story straight between us would be enough" Alan continued. "I guess I'm not using my best poker face...What did you tell him?"

Stan got a bottle of mineral water from the little refrigerator. "I don't blame you...Anyway,. my cell rang, and so did his. Then he just left."

"all right..." Alan got a few things from the supply cabinet.

Gently, Stan asked ".so...Any word from the PI?"

"He's got a possible lead" Alan replied, sitting heavily on his chair.

"really?"

"He went to where you shot the photo,and saw them entering into a nearby hotel. Now it's a matter of tailing them." Alan explained with discomfort.

After an awkard pause, the two men returned to their blueprints.

When an hour of this silence had passed, Stan lamely said, "uh...Don's gonna come back. What am I supposed to tell him?"

Alan said. " maybe you could work from home for a while?"

"sounds good to me." Stan told him, and checked a few calculations he had just made. "Make sure to complain about my absence."

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Around seven that evening, Don came over for dinner. He joined Charlie, who graded papers, while watching TV. Alan busied himself with dinner in the kitchen.

Quickly, Charlie asked, in a whisper "What did Stan say?"

"He tried to avoid my questions. Both our cells rang before I could grill him more." Don sighed.

"Dad's had a chance to concoct another story with Stan." Charlie groaned.

"Don't worry buddy, I know how to get around that kinda thing" Don assured his brother.

"and that worked out so well today..." Charlie teased, and put a F on a paper.

"It's not my fault we both got called!" Don got defensive.

"Why don't you follow Dad around?" Charlie suggested suddenly. He wanted to help his father, whatever the secret crisis was. It hurt the mathematician that Alan didn't seem to trust them enough to confide in them. "If he's ...going to do-doc...wherever he's going, it'll tell us what is going on."

After somet hinking, Don nodded, "Sure...I'll take time off."

"Be sure to use a rental!" Charlie warned seriously, as Don rolled his eyes.

--------------------------------

For the next several days, Don, while keeping up the pretense of going to work in front of his father, and Millie, followed the older man around. This task proved both difficult and easy at the same time. While he had a lot of experiance in tailing people, Don felt odd about tailing his own dad, and his gut told him that Alan kept a big secret. Most of the tail was boring, Alan alternated between seeing clients,doing errands, going to Millie's place in Arcadia, visiting the golf course, and going to his small office.

However, the tailing finally proved useful, when one day, the agent followed Alan into a discreet building. He parked near his father, and followed him on foot, carefully, and wearing khakis, a beanie hat, and glasses with fifties style rims.

Don pursued Alan until he saw the older man go into an office. The sign on it said "Gonzalez Investigation and Security"

"Dad's seeing a PI???" Don mused in the hallway, and theorized, in his mind "Stan's doing something. Dad got the PI, because he's worried that if I do investigation, the evidence won't hold up as well, since I'm his kid."

------------------------------------------

Don noticed that Alan seemed dazed upon coming out, and even had a few papers in his hand. The agent eventually went to see Charlie at his office.

Charlie listened with a troubled look, chalk in hand, while Don related what had happened.

"Couldn't he have told us, and then hire a PI?" the younger Eppes brother asked with hurt. " I could have recommended a good mathematician to testify in court, if his plan was to sue Stan."

"I should have checked Stan out when Dad told us they were going into business together!" Don sat with guilt on Charlie's chair.

"We've known him since we were kids!" Charlie comforted his brother. "On the bright side, I own the house, so that's protected."

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The boys confronted their father at dinner.

Don put down his fork."We know about the PI, Dad"

"What?"

"I saw you go into a PI's office!" Don told his father firmly.

"You saw me go into a PI's office?" Alan couldn't process this information just yet; such was his shock.

What was he going to tell them? And How?

" And we know all about Stan!" Charlie continued. He still felt hurt, and wanted Stan to be punished.

"You know about Stan?" Alan repeated lamely, and quickly tried to think. He hoped that Don hadn't done or started anything official, hating to think that his good friend could get in trouble on his account.

"Would you stop echoing, and tell us what the hell is going on???" Charlie demanded.

Taking a deep breath, Alan started to explain, "It's not Stan! I'm not going to see a PI because of something he did...but for something I did"

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

"What are you saying?" Don looked straight as his father, dreading the answer.

Gently, Alan with hesitation told them the story, from the beginning.

"During your sophomore year" he began, his attention on both his older sons " I ran into an...old girlfriend from college. She had decided to hang out in LA while her daughter went to some camp. We talked, and spent time together...I found myself calling her alot, ..." Alan could't continue, but both boys knew what happened next.

Charlie stood up, and with fury demanded "how could you???" Don, also angry, looked at his father coldly.

Alan paused, hating to see his sons' hurt. How can he explain it? How could he explain what her company meant, when Margaret was so far away, and he had started to doubt that he was doing all he had set out to do to change the world. At that time, approving plans seemed so far from that. "Charlie..."

the mathematician held out a hand, saying, with pain "Don't...say another word! Mom loved you so much! She gave up a career in music for you! And this is how you thank her??????????"

Don put a hand on his brother's right arm "Let Dad finish. There's more to this story"

"And then you've got the nerve to give me and Don relationship advice!" Charlie continued. He felt so hurt, angry,as did Don. The latter, for a while, had wanted to someday, have the kind of long term relationship that his parents seemed to have had.

"What does this have to do with the PI?" Don asked in a businesslike, distant tone; as if Alan were just another person that he were questioning.

"Remember when Stan insisted on meeting with me? Well, it was because, he saw _her,_ and a...young man..who...seems to be at the right age..."

"Did the PI give you a report?" Don interrupted

"Yeah.."

"Give it to me" Don said firmly.

Sadly, Alan got up and got the report, which Don read carefully. When he saw the pictures, including the one Stan took, the agent did a double take.

"Charlie!" Don called to the pacing Charlie

"No! I have nothing to do with this!!" the mathematician said.

"It's the kid who disrupted your class" Don insisted. "Look!"

"What?" Charlie's curiosity got the best of him, and he went to see. "It..uh..." Charlie could't face the fact that the mean, and snotty young man could be his half brother.

"What are you going to do now?" Don asked his father flatly.

"I...dunno" Alan replied lamely.

"Are you gonna ask for a DNA test?" Don persisted.

"I..."

"Wouldn't be asking that question if you hadn't cheated on mom in the first place!!!" Charlie snarled.

"What about the kid?" Don continued, ignoring Charlie " I mean, how is he gonna take the truth? Is it worth turning his world upside down?"

"Don's right. Let's leave the kid alone" Charlie agreed. Ignoring the kid meant that they could all go on with their lives.

"What would you do, Donnie?" Alan whispered.

"It isn't about me!" the agent brushed off his father's question.

At that very moment, Alan wanted to say something, but Don got a call, and had to return to work. Charlie went with him, not so much to help, but to obtain some distance between himself and Alan. Both boys saw Alan with different eyes.

When they left, Alan sat alone, in a semi-lit living room, wallowing in deep regret.

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

_a/n:(some of this story takes place and was written before before the events of Insecurity and Tabu. So, Liz is still dating Don)_

The brothers buried themselves in the case and were comforted by their respective girlfriends. Neither Liz or Amita knew what was more shocking: Alan's infidelity, or the possibility that there could be a third Eppes brother.

---------------------------------------------

One day two weeks later, as the couple talked at Don's place, the younger agent mused "I wonder how your Dad's doing". It didn't escape her attention that Don hadn't gone to the house lately.

"He's fine" Don turned on the television. Alan had left a few voice mails.

"How would you know that?" she raised an eyebrow. " You've stopped visiting and Charlie's practically living with Amita"

"Work's been crazy!" he answered sharply and defensively "I haven't had time to visit And Charlie's gone to Amita's so that they could have some privacy...ya know?"

"Sure..." she took off her watch, and wondered if Millie knew. Liz had met her only twice, but knew that the woman was smart and observant enough to start asking questions about Don and Charlie's absence from the Eppes home.

Don went to shower, to avoid talking about it more, upon getting out, he complained, "Why is my last razor in the shower? Did you use it?"

"I ran out..." she admitted .

"Thanks a lot" he grumbled with irritation, as the razor would not be sharp enough for his taste.

"you could borrow some from your Dad" she suggested facetiously to make a point.

"or you could buy your own razors" Don snorted. Alan's actions had weighed heavily on the older agent. Work could only do so much to comfort Don in his disappointment, anger, and hurt.

Aakash, back in San Fransisco, spent the following weekend looking through boxes, trying for find an old record, which belonged to his mother. He planned to scan and then and use the cover as wallpaper on his computer. He found a great many things, old toys, children's clothing, discarded board games, but what interested him was an envelope. Curiously, he opened it, only to read this letter

_Thursday November 10, 1988_

_Hannah:_

_I've been thinking about you, and so here I am, writing a note, like some fifteen year old even though I should be working and you won't be back here in L.A until Tuesday._

_Donnie is coming home for the weekend, so I'm buying a couple of steaks to make for the two of us. I'm sure he'l appreciate that after weeks of college cafeteria food. Like me, he's quite the carnivore. I'm looking forward to spending time with him. We'll probably catch a game on T.V. Usually the only time I see him, is when I go to one of his games, during baseball season. He's quite the ballplayer! If he keeps up the good work, he might even go pro! I talked to Charlie last night on the phone. He seems to have found a mentor, a physics professors named Larry. Charlie's mother approves of him, and that's good enough for me._

_In a few minutes, I've got a meeting, and I really wish I could skip it. I never get to do as much designing as I'd like, or to work toward some of the things I'd like to see. For example, a colleague of mine has some ideas for getting people to live in downtown L.A itself: this would help with dealing with commuter issues, and decrease automobile use. Unlike San Fransisco, you can't get around L.A without a car._

"_We need to make Urban lofts the 'in' thing " he tells me. "This'll give developers an incentive to invest in old buildings by refurbishing them into lofts."_

_Well, I gotta prep for the meeting, so I'll drop this off at your friend's place after work._

_Yours,_

_Alan_

Aakash realized, to his horror, that the date on the note was more or less nine months before he was born.

"Could this guy be my dad???" he wondered and then grew angry "Why did mom lie to me???"

As he seethed, and thought about how to confront his mother, Amita and Charlie went out to dinner.

"I see that you got bought a new toothbrush" Amita remarked as they both looked at menus. "Didn't you have some unused ones at home?" She, noticed how Charlie avoided his father.

"It would have cost more in gas than what several toothbrushes are worth" Charlie replied quickly.

"And I seem to have more of your clothes in my hamper." she wanted to get him out of avoidance mode.

"I'm spending more time at your place" he got defensive

"As much as I love having you around, I can't help but feel that you're avoiding your father. Until...everything...you and I would spend the night at your place"

"Didn't you get tired of us being interrupted?" Charlie asked, ignoring the last part of what she said.

"Larry says that your father is very lonely" Amita whispered. The physicist and Alan had started spending more time together.

Charlie felt a little sorry for Alan, but anger still pervaded his psyche. So, he changed the subject.

--------------------------------------------------

At Don's apartment, the two agents had Thai delivery, and ate in silence until Liz asked, "Don, say you found out that one of your exes had a son, and you suspected that you were the father...Would you leave things as they are? or try to get visitation rights?" This question had been on her mind for quite a while.

Don stopped in the middle of serving himself more steamed rice, glared at her, and replied "Why are you asking me this?"

"I was wondering if your advising your Dad to leave that kid alone came from wanting to bury everything, or whether it's something that you would do..."

"Come on!" Don grew irritated. Not willing to have the discussion, he left the table, muttered something about needing to do paperwork, and went to the living room.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Hannah finally came home late that night, and Aakash was waiting for her and ready to confront.

"What the hell is this???" he demanded and shoved the letter in her face.

Upon seeing the letter and the familiar handwriting, she froze. How did he find the letter? What would she tell him?

"Answer me!" the kid yelled, years of resentment, and the anger of being lied to coming to the surface.

"An old friend..."

"Is he my Dad???"

"Wha-What the hell are you talking about?? I've told you... " She was still in shock about his finding the letter from Alan.

Aakash interrupted furious "Nothing but lies!!!!!!!!!!!"

TBC

Stay tuned for the confrontation. Will Aakash get the answers he needs? What will he do if he does?


	7. Chapter 7

Hannah saw the rage, and hurt in her son's eyes. The guilt weighed on her.

"Sit down, honey, let's start at the beginning." She decided to tell him a few things, but not all.

Sullenly, he did so, and she began.

"Once, when your sister was at a camp, I went to visit a friend of mine, Barbara, you've met her...anyway, there, I ran into an old boyfriend from college at a diner. We talked about old times and caught up. At first it was a bit awkard, but soon it became comfortable. I've always managed to be friendly with exes, ya know...He told me that about his wife and two sons. One of them played college ball,and the other, while only thirteen ,was going to Princeton. Alan missed his wife, as she was with the younger son back East. I talked about your sister ,gave him my friends number and said that I'd be in LA for a few days..."

"but then you guys hooked up?" he interrupted.

"eventually, and I'd go to visit him. Then he broke it off. I was hurt, but realized that it was for the best. He was a good man, always smart, kind...I don't go out with married men, but I made an exception for Alan. I was at a low point at my life, and was doubting myself. Being with him, helped me bring back my idealistic, optimistic and youthful self." she sighed. "A month after the breakup, I found out that I was pregnant with you."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Aakash demanded

"He was married, and already having problems. It wasn't easy for him to have his wife and younger son on the other side of the country. The marriage was strained. I also worried about how it would affect his relationship with his sons, especially the older one.

"but I grew up without knowing my dad!" Aakash argued.

"You had Uncle Greg, and your grandfather..." she tried to calm him down. "And how does one break such news to a child?"

"What's his last name?"

"Sweetie...wouldn't be be better to leave well enough alone?"

"no! I've got a right!"

"What about his family?"

"I'll just approach him, I promise!"

"No.." she said, firmly, and emphatically.

Mother and son argued some more. Then, Aakash, in a huff, went into his room, slamming the door.

"Everything's she's told me has been a lie!!!!!!!" he snarled, and threw a pillow against the wall.

Later that night, he got all three of his mother's college yearbooks, packed some essentials, and then went to crash at his sister's place. She, grumpily let him in, asking,"Why are you here at this horrible hour?" the woman wrapped herself more tightly in her robe.

"I can't live with mom...she's lied to me all these years!" he began. "About my Dad! Turns out that he was a married Ex from college!

"What???"

"you heard right. She went to LA to visit Barbara, while you went to camp, and hooked up with him there!"

Karma thought for a minute: she remembered her brother being born some time after she went to the worst camp ever.

"I got her college yearbooks, so I could start looking for him. Could you help?"

"Now?"

"no...next year" he retorted.

she ignored his tone. "Come in."

Aakash showed her the letter, which she read with wide eyes. "Looks like he works at some kinda government office."

"Government office?"

""And something to do with building or engineering"

"How did you glean all that?"

"He refers to not doing enough designing, and his coworker wanted to get more lofts built"

"How did you get the government part?

"The co worker's tone...sounds as if they have some power over policy...it's just a gut feeling"

"I'm gonna brew some coffee, and look through the yearbooks"

"Dude, even in the 60's, UCSF was a big school" she reminded him. "You're gonna need more than a first name"

"Mom wouldn't tell me much." he went to the kitchen, brewed the coffee, and began. He, started with the yearbook from his mother's senior year at college, and looked first at the senior photos. There were five Alans. One was black, another, Aakash found out via googling, died in Vietnam, the third Alan had red hair and blue eyes, the fourth, had a website for some ministry. The young man thought that his mother 'hooking up' with this man at any time was unlikely, the last Alan he saw caught his attention. His last name was Eppes, and he, like Aakash had dark hair, and a similar nose.

Then, the young man remembered what the tour guide at Cal Sci said "_Professor Eppes was...is a math prodigy graduating from high school at the age of_ _thirteen"_

Identical Last names didn't have to mean a familial relationship, but prodigies didn't exactly grow on trees. Plus, wasn't that professor's name Charles? Charlie is a common nickname for Charles. Aakash googled Dr. Charles Eppes.

He got a few hits, a link from the official cal sci website, and some other academic stuff. Aakash read through those, and then looked up Alan Eppes. There were some articles about him, from when he was in the city planners office, and a website from some consulting firm, run by Alan Eppes and a partner. Aakash did research on city planning, and now the coworker's remark about lots made some sense.

.He packed some stuff, wrote a note to his sister, emailed his girlfriend, and took a bus to the greyhound station. It couldn't hurt to go to that consulting firm right in LA right? He didn't know what he'd say, but figured that several hours on the bus was more than enough to think through the details.

The ride seemed eternal. A man tried to sell him a 'magic kingdom' for twenty bucks, a baby wailed the whole way, a couple fought, an old woman accused him of working for the NSA by spying on her, and Aakash could have sworn that he heard low mewing near him. Finally the bus arrived.

It took him a couple of buses to find an internet cafe, where he looked up the bus route for the firm. Before he knew it, the last bus dropped him off nearby, and he had walked the leftover distance.

Nearby, Don parked his SUV. After thinking, talking with Liz, and getting encouragement from Megan, he finally decided to go see his father, give him another chance, and talk things over like adults.

Alan, worked on a project, trying to forget his loneliness. Aside from Larry, Millie, who had acted coolly for quite a while, and Stan, the poor man was alone, and without the company of his sons. Little did he know that two of them would soon be at his office.

TBC

Stay tuned for Chapter 8, where an unexpected family reunion will bring things to a head!


	8. Chapter 8

Aakash soon walked into the office, saw Alan working, and said.

"Mr. Eppes I presume?"

Alan looked up, only to see that it was his maybe-son!

"I believe that you are my father." the young man began. "And by the look on your face, you knew about my existence!!!"

"Just since a few weeks ago" Alan responded quickly.

"And you haven't' contacted me because?...??" the young man grew hurt and angry.

"I'm still in shock. I found out about you through a friend, who saw you with your mother,and ..uh..took a picture."

"Shock doesn't last that long!" the younger man retorted.

"Why don't you take a seat?" Alan used his calming tone "let's talk about this calmly"

Aakash sat down sullenly.

"I've thought a lot about you lately. I feel very guilty about missing so much." Alan told the young man softly. Experience had taught him how to speak with teenage boys.

Aakash crossed his arms and snorted."So guilty that you didn't contact me right away"

"I had a PI look for you" the retiree continued. "and find out a few things."

"really?"

"yeah!"

"does your family know about me?"

"My wife..." Alan paused "Passed away a few years ago, but I told my sons some time after I found out. They're...upset with me"

" I want to do a DNA test. I need to know!"

"Not without your mother's permission" Alan reminded him. The PI had given a lot of information about Aakash to Alan. "How did she react to your coming here?"

"uh..fine..." Aakash lied.

"fine?" Alan, from the boy's nervous body language, had a feeling that he had a runaway on his hands. "How did you know to come here?"

"I found this" Aakash gave him the letter he had found.

Alan read it, and was amazed that he had a kind of time capsule to study his forty something year old self.

"And then did some research" Aakash finished.

"So your mother didn't tell you?" Alan remembered how upset the breakup made Hannah.

"as if!"

"Are you sure that she knows you're here?" Alan pressed. The boy had circles around his eyes, meaning that he had left home the night before to travel from San Fransisco to Los Angeles.

"She does now...I left my sister a note" Aakash admitted.

Alan handed him the phone. "Call your mother. She must be worried sick!"

"no!"

At that moment Don came in, saw his alleged second brother, and gave his father a 'what the hell is going on ' look.

"Donnie..?" Alan's heart leaped, hoping that at least his eldest wanted to begin mending things. "This is Aakash...he did some research and found me"

Before the agent could say anything, the teenager exclaimed "You're the one who bullied me!"

Alan repeated."Bullied you?"

"I did a tour of Cal Sci...and went to audit a class of a Professor Charles Eppes...is he one of your sons?"

"yea" Alan nodded, eager to hear more.

"And he grabbed my arm!" Aakash pointed at the agent.

"He forgot to mention the part where he kept disrupting Charlie's class by insulting him and the students" Don added coldly. He didn't like this kid, and hoped that the DNA test, if one was ever done, would come out negative.

"All right you two, let's step back for a minute" Alan sensed that things were going to get worse, but he made a mental note to talk to the two of them about the incident later. "Anyway..uh...Donnie here is also my son. He works for the FBI."

Aakash inwardly sighed at the prospect that Don could be his older brother.

"What made you decide to find my dad?" Don asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to know...and meet him" Aakash replied, adding sharply "Look dude, my grandpa is well off...I'm not after the Eppes fortune...okay?"

"Donnie uses ...that tone without thinking" Alan tried to diffuse the fight again. "it's because of the kind of work he does"

"What?" Don looked at his father with irritation. After all, this kid was a stranger!

Alan continued quickly"What I mean to say is that...Don is protective of those he cares about..."

Aakash mumbled "Paranoid is more like it"

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" the older man asked with genuine interest. A PI could only find out so much, and Alan really wanted to get to know Aakash.

"I'm a senior in High school..." the young man began. "And I wanna be a doctor"

"I'd hate to be your patient" Don thought.

"You mentioned looking at colleges" Alan remembered.

"I hope to go to UCSF med school" Aakash continued. "As for undergrad, I've got a few top choices like UCLA,USC,Berkley, and Pomona College"

"you'll always have a place to stay in LA"Alan promised kindly.

"Whoa! hold on a sec!" Don protested with raised palms " you guys haven't even done the DNA tests. And what about Charlie? It's his house" The agent didn't like the idea of a total stranger staying at the house. Besides, he knew how his brother would feel about the idea.

"Mom's never gonna agree. We're going have to wait until I'm eighteen"

"which is when?" Alan asked, partly with pain.

"August twenty fifth"

The office phone rang. Reluctantly, Alan answered it.

"Alan?..."Amita's trembling voice was barely audible.

"What's going on?" Alan demanded,having that parental gut feeling that not all was well.

"Charlie's been in a car accident."

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Grimly, Alan got the location of the hospital, and told the others what happened. The trio got into Don's car, and went to the hospital. Amita met with them at a waiting area.

"How is he?" Alan asked with concern.

"He's still being treated." She sighed.

"What happened? Don asked.

"Charlie and I were doing some work at the house when he remembered that he needed to buy something." Amita made herself sound calm, despite all the worry, guilt and anxiety. "Seconds after I heard him pull out, there was the sound of ...a crash a loud horn and glass breaking. I got a bad feeling, and went out to look..." She stopped, unable to continue.

"And the other driver?" the agent persisted. Whoever did this would not escape the wrath of a loving, protective brother, with a badge.

"It was ...a man...several years older than Alan" she said. I called nine one one, and ran to Charlie."

"Did you get a look at the other car?" Don went into work mode, as a coping mechanism.

She shook her head numbly

"Did he try to leave?"

"He blamed it on Charlie..."She began, but was interrupted by a doctor, who with a pink clean-shaven face, and light gait, seemed to young for Alan's liking

"Are you Mr. Eppes' family?" he asked. "Ms. Ram-moo-jan told me that she'd call you" Amita ignored the butchering of her name.

"I'm his father" Alan replied. "What's going on?"

"There was a driver's side collision." he began gently. "There are internal injuries, and fractures on his left arm and leg."

"Can we see him?" Don asked.

"Yes, but for a few minutes. He's getting intravenous painkillers, so he won't be very alert."

"You and Amita go first" Alan told Don, despite his heart's longing.

"He's gonna wanna see you," the agent contended, "despite everything!"

"I'll wait" Amita agreed, with Don.

Alan's protests were shut down by Don's pleading look. Carefully, after getting directions from a nurse's aid, they went to Charlie's room. Only his face, looking very bruised, could be seen, as a blanket covered the rest of his body. Alan and Don inwardly cringed at the hospital smell, as it brung back sad memories. Some IV bags surrounded the bed, and Charlie had tubes sticking out of his arms.

"Buddy?" Don whispered, hating to see his brother in that state.

"uh...?" Charlie's eyes half opened.

The agent came closer to the bed. "It's me, Buddy...Amita called us."

"Don?" Lines in Charlie's forehead became deeper.

"Easy…" Don advised, again vowing silently to himself that he would find this other driver and be sure he paid for this. "Buddy, there's someone else who wants to see you."

"Who?" Charlie's mind, mired by the drug induced fog, didn't even venture a guess.

"Dad's here, Buddy. He's been so worried!" Don wasn't sure how Charlie would react to this news. The tension between all of them had been so daunting for so long and the last thing Don wanted to do at this point was to upset Charlie.

"Really?" Charlie remembered there had been some issues, but, in a way that people remembered famines in far off countries.

Don gestured, with a hand, for Alan, worried sick, to come forward.

"Charlie?" Alan smiled, despite his feelings of anguish.

At that moment, a nurse shooed them away, insisting that the patient needed his rest.

-----

Days passed; Aakash, with Alan's encouragement and Don's prodding, returned to San Francisco, but to his sister's.

"I'll keep in contact and keep you up to date about Charlie's progress" Alan promised. He took the young man to the airport; the former had bought, despite Don's wishes, Aakash a plane ticket.

"The Greyhound is full of crazies!" Alan exclaimed with concern.

------------------------------------

The fractures on Charlie's left leg required a cast on the whole limb, as did his left arm, which was supported by a sling. As a result, the mathematician most of his time, while not in bed, sitting in a wheelchair, being pushed around the dreary hallways, with their antiseptic smells, harried personnel, and the occasional hysterical patient.

Don visited during most of his spare time, and saw to it, that the other driver didn't go unpunished. Liz, David, Megan, Millie Larry and Colby all visited whenever they could. Amita, who took over Charlie's classes for the time being, was there almost as much as Don and Alan. The agent insisted that Charlie not be told about Aakash, until the recovery was well on its way.

Three days passed. As Alan pushed Charlie around, in the wheelchair, the mathematician began to speak. His cast leg was elevated, and he used a blanket from home to cover the flimsy gown. Charlie thought about renting an electric wheelchair, so that he could have better mobility.

"Remember the first roommate I had here?"

"You mean the one who was discharged yesterday?"

"Yeah…He told me about how he and his father didn't get along. Then, his dad died from a heart attack. I realized that life is too short, to not let go"

Alan smiled wistfully, and put a hand on his son's good shoulder.

----

Finally, the doctors allowed Charlie to go home. Alan would be helping him out. Charlie was to sleep in the living room, on a sofa bed, borrowed from Megan. It had taken Don, Colby, and David quite a while to install it.

When Charlie had been settled for a day or two a very happy Aakash called Alan on his cell phone.

"Guess what? They're selling home DNA kits at the store!"

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

"Home DNA Test?" Alan repeated, and then remembered "oh yea! I heard about them on the news."

"My girlfriend got it for me! You and I should do the test!"

"but what do we know about their accuracy?" Alan asked, with doubt.

"It still goes to a lab, the difference is that we ourselves get the sample" Aakash said, emotions overriding his budding scientific side.

"Let me think about it" Alan promised.

"Is that a no?" Aakash frowned.

They talked of other things. Then, during dinner, Alan asked the boys about it. Charlie had been told about Aakash's visit to Alan's office. Like Don, he felt suspicious, and hoped that any test would come out negative.

"Those tests aren't valid in court" Don remarked. He was familiar with many good labs that did the standard version of the test. "I've got doubts about their reliability, ya know? You're better off getting a swab from a good lab."

"Don's right!" Charlie agreed. Any DNA test, if there had to be one, needed to be nothing short of very accurate. He got the whole steak with a fork, and bit at it.

"Would you like me to cut that for you?" Alan asked impassively.

"It's okay Dad" Charlie shook his head from the wheel chair. "But could you serve me some more mashed potatoes?"

"I'll do it" Don offered, and gave his brother a good sized portion.

"Boys…how would you feel about him coming here for Thanksgiving?"

The two of them stopped eating.

"What about his mother? She might not give permission" Don pointed out quickly.

"Thanksgiving…here?" Charlie looked at his father with shock. "you haven't done the DNA test!" Charlie didn't relish the thought of that kid coming to Thanksgiving in his home, and would fight the idea to the bitter end.

"I'd like for us to get to know Aakash better" Alan tried to explain.

Charlie objected. "Dad! He doesn't like me or Don!"

"I know that he's a little rough around the edges" Alan remarked gently " but that's to be expected. It has to do with abandonment issues. My cousin Ben had them for most of his life because he didn't know who his father was."

"That doesn't give the kid a right to undermine Charlie in his classroom" Don disagreed.

"I talked to him about that" Alan tried to assure his older sons.

"And why haven't I gotten an apology by phone?" Charlie demanded sharply.

"I…suggested to him that what he did was wrong and that an apology in person was in order" Alan replied.

"like on Thanksgiving?" Don piped up. He knew his father all too well.

"yeah"

"A letter or email would be fine" Charlie muttered.

"I do not condone what he did to Charlie!" Alan insisted. "All three of you got off to a very bad start. Donnie, while I'm proud of your loyalty to Charlie, manhandling Aakash could have gotten you in serious trouble if there had been a visible bruise"

"It would have been worth it" Don thought, but said, "I'm not apologizing Dad"

Alan sighed. His boys, all three of them, were stubborn. "Why don't we all try to start fresh?"

"You can't just expect us to be one happy family!" Don contended. "I won't ever have the same relationship with him that I do with Charlie."

"Don respects me and my work!" Charlie supported his brother.

"Boys" Alan tried to cut in

"We're the ones that you raised, Dad!" the mathematician grew aggravated, threw down his fork, and wheeled away using his good hand.

"Charlie!" Alan exclaimed. "Let's talk about this" The mathematician didn't listen, and continued his course.

Don followed his brother to the living room.

The mathematician complained sourly. "I can't believe him!"

Don remarked gently. "Dad's just trying to do the right thing, buddy, and went a little overboard. That's all"

Charlie countered, "We don't even know if the kid is his!"

"I know buddy, but it might be a while before we can be sure" Don sat on a chair close to Charlie.

Charlie then turned on the TV, and Don, after some time went to see Alan, who loaded the dish washer.

Don leaned on a counter "You're expecting too much, Dad, especially from Charlie."

"I missed a lot." Alan said.

"It doesn't do any good to alienate Charlie."

"that wasn't my intention." Alan protested while rinsing a plate.

"But that's what you 're doing" Don countered.

"I thought thanksgiving would be a good time for us to get to know each other" Alan explained.

"Maybe you should back off on that for now?" Don suggested, feeling that the subject should be taken up again only when both parties had cooled down.

Alan protested at first, but finally agreed. "I'll talk to Charlie tomorrow"

Don stayed over that night, to mediate things, and help out with Charlie, who had taken his medicine sometime ago..

Setting up the sofa bed, Don remarked, "I talked to Dad…he's starting to think that maybe he's pushing things a little, ya know,?with the whole thanksgiving thing.?"

"Really?" Charlie felt lazy and out of sorts from the pain medication.

"He meant well"

"but why should some alleged kid get special treatment over the established…kids?" Charlie's mind, at the moment, ran like a very old computer with low memory, too many open widows, and not enough processing power.

"He wasn't giving anyone special treatment, buddy…" Don tried to assure him. "He hates to see us fighting"

"that kid shouldn't be a part of 'us'" Charlie grumbled, as Don helped him to the bed. "DNA test or not"

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Alan brought cereal, and toast on a tray, to the sofa bed around eleven thirty in the morning. Grudgingly, the patient accepted it.

"I've been thinkin' Charlie, about what you said" the retiree began tentatively.

"mmmm?" Charlie replied with cereal, and milk in his mouth.

"Maybe asking Aakash to join us for Thanksgiving was premature." Alan finally admitted.

"Maybe?" Charlie's aggravation reemerged

"I took things too far" Alan added. "It's just that for me, being a father is about more than genetics"

"But you're not sure of that!" Charlie felt that this needed repeating.

"The circumstantial evidence makes that possibility"

"If only there were some test to determine if he were your son." Charlie's tone became sardonic. "it could compare DNA samples from two individuals, and see if they are related."

"I'm not exactly giving him a trust fund" Alan sighed. "And we will do a test eventually"

Amita, at that moment, came in. Her second class of the day finished early, and the next one wouldn't be until three.

Deciding not to comment upon the tension between the two men, she asked Charlie, "How's my patient?" and gave him a kiss even though he smelt a bit ripe, as he preferred to forgo the humiliation of having his family bathe him.

"Okay" Charlie looked at his father, who decided to leave the room.

"Is everything all right?" Amita asked with concern.

"Dad wanted to invite that brat over for Thanksgiving!" Charlie complained bitterly. "And they haven't done the DNA test!! I talked him out of it, but he wants me and Don to cut the kid some slack"

"After what he did to you?" Amita sat next to him.

"somethinga about 'abandonment issues' "Charlie rolled his eyes. "I try to create a supportive environment in my classroom, and then that kid ruins it!"

"I had a student do the same thing this morning. Trust me, he got a good talking to!"

Around two thirty, Amita left to make it to her class on time. Larry came in the evening, and was updated as to the latest spat with Alan.

"Charles" the physicist began after some thought, "Let's say for the sake of being hypothetical, that …Susan Berry found out that she was pregnant right after you and her broke up, but for various reasons, she kept the child's existence from you until say, two days ago. What are your feelings.. towards her and the child?"

Sighing, Charlie replied "I'd be angry at her for keeping the kid from me."

"Would you want to get to know the child?"

"Of course!"

Wanting to further direct Charlie's train of thought, Larry continued, " Would you be okay with missing those few years?"

"No!"

"Then why would you expect your father to feel differently?"

Charlie stubbornly decided to put forth his own hypothetical situation. "What if, in addition to this kid, I also have a kid, with Amita, let's name her Margaret. I wouldn't want to give the first kid special treatment especially if he were mean to little Margaret."

"perhaps…."Larry used a neutral tone. "But on the other hand, wouldn't you want little Margaret, and" Larry hesitated for a moment " little…Bob to get along?"

"yeah, but not by telling little Bob it's okay to embarrass little Margaret."

"Maybe little Bob has issues?"

"That wouldn't give him the right to mistreat my daughter!" Charlie became agitated

Sighing Larry realized that the three, no four Eppes men had a very long and winding road ahead of them.

TBC

--

_A/N-I promise to make the next chapter longer._


	12. Chapter 12

Don entered the house in time to hear Charlie's last outburst. Concerned, the agent went to calm his brother.

"Easy, buddy, there's no point in worrying about non existent kids" Don gave Larry a questioning glace.

Charlie whined "Larry's siding with Dad!"

"I'm not siding with anyone!" the physicist protested. "I was trying to get you to see your father's point of view."

Charlie told his brother about the discussion with Larry, and the two hypothetical's.

"Charlie's right!" Don sided with his brother.

"Your father means well" Larry was emphatic.

"I know, but he's overdoing it, ya know?" the agent countered. "And upsetting Charlie."

"I'm sure your father knows that his relationship with Aakash won't be the same as the one he's got with you two" Larry said gently.

"he sure doesn't act it" Charlie groused with doubt "He's bending over backwards for that brat!"

"Bending over backwards?" Larry repeated.

"Tell him Don!" Charlie ordered his brother. "Tell him how Dad asked me to give Aakash a break even though he undermined me in my classroom!"

"He did talk to Aakash about it" Don said "But you're right, the kid should have called to apologize!"

"I wish we could bribe the kid into leaving Dad alone" Charlie grumbled.

Don, at this point, had an idea. "We need to talk to this kid, face to face, ya know?"

"uh..why?" the younger Eppes brother frowned; he didn't want to deal with the kid.

"to get things straight" Don explained.

"Wouldn't that involve him coming to visit?" Charlie's frown deepened.

"well..yeah" Don rolled his eyes.

"We'll just be encouraging Dad!" Charlie whined, and changed the subject.

Don, for now, decided to let it go.

--

As it turned out, Aakash decided to pay Alan a surprise visit the next weekend. While happy to see the young man, the retiree gently scolded him, for not calling first and for going on Grayhound

"Donnie says that convicts like to use it"

The two had lunch, and then Alan tried to teach Aakash golf. Don, finding out about the visit, requested that they all meet at a favorite restaurant for dinner. The agent wanted to get things straight with Aakash. Charlie reluctantly agreed to the idea.

At first, everyone sat silently reading the menus.Alan would look up occasionally to observe his sons and then return his eyes to the menu. They sat at a large table to accommodate Charlie's wheelchair.

"Are you forgetting something?" Don asked the teenager.

"Huh?"

"You haven't apologized to Charlie for disrupting his class" the agent replied

"What about the fact that you bullied me!" Aakash retorted. "Don't I get an apology for that??"

"You got what was coming to you!" Charlie snorted acidly.

"Maybe Aakash should have saved his uh concerns and opinions for when class was over" Alan cut in mildly. "But Donnie shouldn't have overreacted."

" 'opinions' and 'concerns' ??" Charlie repeated in angry disbelief. "He insulted my students and disrupted their learning!"

"The kid ignored Charlie's warnings!" Don cut in, feeling that Alan should be taking the side of the sons he raised.

"It's not my fault that my mom screwed your Dad while he was still married to your mom." Aakash spat furiously. "Quit taking it out on me!"

"Of course, that's it" Charlie's tone grew sardonic, "It has nothing to do with the fact that you're a spoiled asshole!"

"At least I'm not a self satisfied.."

"Enough!" Alan yelled, cutting them both off. "Fighting amongst yourselves isn't gonna change the past"

--

As the three brothers continued their bitter argument Hannah, Aakash's mother, rode in an ambulance, in critical condition.

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

While Kharma, unable to get a hold of her brother ,winged her hands in the waiting room late into dawn's grey bleakness.

"you sure picked a hell of a time to turn off your phone!" she muttered after the umpteenth attempt to reach hom.

Alan, from the doorway between the kitchen and dining room, plates in hand, saw Aakash's now pale face, as the latter looked at his new cell.

"what's up?" alan asked with worry

"my mom's in the hospital!"

"Hospital?" Alan put the plates down on the table.

"My sis left lots of messages!" he swallowed, avoidance of his mother impelled him to turn off his cell phone.

"I'll buy the tickets online, you eat something" Alan rushed, opened his laptop, and got the tickets.

Unable to eat, Aakash tried to get a hold of his sister, and managed after two tries.

"It's about damn time!" she said reproachfully

"How's mom?"

"Touch and go"

"What happened?".

"Complications resulting from High Sugar...Our mother has been diagnosed with diabetes."

"Diabetes?" Aakash repeated, not believing his ears. "Mom takes such good care of herself!"

"Grandma Benni had diabetes" Kharma reminded him.

"Alan and I are getting the tickets to go. I'll be with you as soon as I can"

The siblings talked some more, and then said their goodbyes.

Alan and Aakash took a taxi to the airport, went through security, and waited for the plane.

By the time they arrived, there was good news. Hannah was stable, even sitting up in bed.

"I'll wait here" Alan told the siblings in the hallway. "I'm not the one she wants to see."

Tentatively, Aakash went inside to see his mother. "Mom?"

"Sweetie?" she wore a hospital gown, and looked pale.

"I'm sorry!" the young man blurted out.

She put a hand on his right cheek. "shh...no need to apologize"

"Doc says you gotta watch what you eat" Aakash remarked with worry.

"I know"

"I'm sorry I shut you out" Aakash apologized heartily.

"You were angry" she replied.

"how are you feeling?"

"Better" She smiled widely, mostly for his sake.

"I'm gonna take care of you" Aakash promised. "I'll go to a school in or near SF"

"Honey! I'll be fine, I don't want you to compromise your future on my account" she stroked his cheek.

Aakash looked at his mother, wearing that thin gown, looking drawn, and most importantly, vulnerable.

"Let's talk about this letter, when you feel better" he suggested.

"Good idea" Kharma agreed. She fussed over her mom's sheets.

"Diabetes is not a death sentence" Hannah comforted her children. "There effective treatments, and I, like I always have, will watch what I eat."

"That's the spirit mom!" Kharma smiled.

"Maybe Aakash could find the cure, when he's a doctor" Hannah teased, but then told her children "Get your blood tested once in a while!"

"We will" the two of them chorused together.

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Alan sat patiently, in the waiting area, distracting himself with a magazine. Eventually, Aakash showed up.

"She's doing better, but the docs say she's gotta watch what she eats" Aakash said. "With the diabetes"

"With kids like you and your sister, she'll be fine" Alan assured him.

Back in Los Angeles, Don, while arguing with Liz over something work related, when he start to put his hand on his chest, and wince.

"Don?"

"My chest hurts"

Liz picked up the phone, and dialed 911

"There's no need, I'll be fine. Probably heart burn"

Liz ignored him.

Just then, the chest pains became worse.

TBC


	14. Chapter 14

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"Angina??" a bed ridden Don repeated when the doctor, some time later, told him the diagnosis. Liz and Charlie were at his side.

"It's my preliminary diagnosis, but you'll need to undergo some tests to be certain"

"sure"

Just then, the doctor's beeper rang loudly. "I have to go" the doctor said, when he looked at it. "We'll need to discuss lifestyle changes" With that she left.

" You guys didn't call dad did you?" Don asked. "There's no point. All he can do is worry"

Charlie hesitated. " He called a while ago, and I told him that you had mild chest pains', and went to the hospital to make sure that it was heartburn"

"Charlie come on That's not gonna comfort Dad!" Don groaned. "I wanted to tell him when things were under control. What did he say?"

"He told me that he was coming back on the next flight"

--------------

Eventually, Alan arrived at the hospital, fussing over Don.

"you should have called me earlier"

"Dad..we didn't wanna worry you..." Don tried to argue.

"I'm gonna make healthier dinners from now on" Alan promised the boys. "No more steaks!"

"At least for Don" Charlie added quickly. Liz smiled.

-----

The doctor, after a few days of tests, confirmed herdiagnosis, and advised Don about the life style changes.

"A healthy diet is key to keeping healthy, so is moderate excersise. Stress can be hard on the heart"

"I'll eat better" Don promised. "I might not be so lucky next time. Stress wise, I'm probably gonna be forced to take a desk job, so that takes care of that"

-----------------

Aakash, got accepted to several good schools. Eventually, he decided on USC.

"We can hang out, during my free time" Aakash told Alan happily over the phone. "and I'm geographically close enough to my mom and. I can be in San Fransisco in an hour"

The summer before Aakash was to start at USC, the DNA test was done. When the results came, Alan and Aakash opened them together.

"Whatever happens, you can always count on me" Alan promised, and then carefully opened the envelope.

"......99.99 chance that Alan Eppes is the father of Aakash Kelley." Alan read in a trembling voice. Father and son looked at each other.

"Looks like Charlie and Don's worst fears came true" Aakash remarked, knowing that his two older brothers wanted the test to be negative.

"Give them time" Alan advised gently.

"In other words, don't expect brotherliness." Aakash shrugged.

"You three got started on the wrong foot" Alan said, "and..the circusmstances didn't help either"

"I know..."

"Why don't we start getting stuff for your dorm?" Alan suggested to clear the air "You could buy things here, and I'll store everything in the garage"

"Less crap to load on the car!" Aakash agreed. "Let's go!"

The End


End file.
